In the past, motor oil was packaged in containers including treated paperboard sleeves whose upper and lower ends were closed by sheet metal lids. Dispensing of the motor oil with such containers requires a can opener or another tool such as a punch for providing a pair of holes in the upper lid generally at diametrically opposite locations, such that tilting of the container causes the motor oil to pour out of one hole while the other hole functions as an air vent.
Plastic blow molded bottles have substantially replaced treated paperboard sleeve/metal lid containers for motor oil. Such plastic blow molded bottles have a vertically extending body portion whose lower extremity is closed by a lower wall and whose upper extremity supports an upper dispensing end having a dispensing spout with a thread for receiving a threaded closure cap. As such, there is advantageously no need for a can opener or other tool for dispensing of motor oil from such plastic blow molded bottles.
Initially, plastic blow molded bottles for motor oil had a centrally located dispensing spout on the upper dispensing end above a body portion with either a round or a horizontally elongated rectangular shape when viewed in a vertical direction. More recently, plastic blow molded bottles for motor oil have included a dispensing spout located above an elongated rectangularly shaped body portion adjacent one end of the body portion. This type of bottle is intended to dispense the motor oil by tilting the bottle along its elongated direction with the dispensing spout end located above the other end so as to facilitate pouring of the oil into an oil intake such as an engine crankcase oil fill opening. However, most consumers actually use such bottles in the opposite orientation, specifically with the dispensing spout end of the elongated upper dispensing end located below the other end thereof rather above as intended.
Prior art references noted by an investigation conducted in connection with the present invention are described below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,286 Hashimoto discloses a beverage container having a vertical straw member that extends along the side of the container. A lower end of the straw member is mounted by a lower side portion of the container and includes a flexible bellows of a vertically elongated shape. An upper end of the straw member has a thinned portion that positions the straw member but is broken to release the straw member for flexing of the elongated bellows and positioning of the straw member for consumption of the beverage.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,027,811 Chlystun and 4,492,324 Weber disclose containers having dispensing spouts that are mounted by flexible bellows and that have provisions for securing the dispensing spouts with respect to the container during shipping and storage prior to use.
Other containers having dispensing spouts supported by flexible bellows are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,351,454 Maynard, Jr. and 4,856,664 Gillespie et al. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,914 Chollet discloses a thermoplastic container having a pouring tube mounted by two recessed pyramids for movement between stored and use positions.